Meg: “Have you found proof of paranormal activity or been able to refute a claim?”
Jenny Melton: “There have been plenty of cases that, through our equipment, we have been able to deem what seemed like paranormal phenomena to have completely natural explanations. The funniest thing about the paranormal field, though, is that I would be skeptical of anyone who actually said they had, without a doubt, evidence of a ghost or spirit. I have had a lot of paranormal experiences, but by definition, paranormal only means that it is out of the realm of what we as humans consider to be normal. I have had many things happen, and I have documented a lot of things that I have not been able to explain. Paranormaclass="underline" yes. Is it proof of a ‘ghost’? I can’t necessarily claim that, and I would be wary of anyone who says that they can prove anything. I personally believe in spirits and ghosts, but it is not my place to convince anyone of anything. I can’t ‘prove’ anything.”
Kelly: “Is there anything else you’d like people to know about what you do?”
Jenny Melton: “There is a ton of work required, and not all of it is fun. Our process for one case could take months. We begin with a phone interview when the team in contacted. We have to make sure we are dealing with legitimate claims from people who are truly seeking our help. We then travel out to the property for a preliminary interview, which gives us a chance to get much firmer details of the claims while also making sure the property and client are safe for our investigators to come in and conduct an investigation. We have a five-page questionnaire that gets pretty detailed, but gives us enough information on the clients and the property to make a wise decision as to what our next move is going to be. If we decide to go ahead with an investigation, we then spend some time visiting historical societies and libraries looking for any information on the property that could be useful for us. We then conduct the investigation, spend about two weeks going over our video and audio, then return to the property with an extensively detailed report about exactly what happened during our investigation and what our conclusions are based on that investigation. We then make recommendations, which could involve anything from offering a space clearing of the property to ‘hire an electrician,’ and ultimately let the family or client choose what to do next. If they choose to do a space clearing, we will return to the property once again with our spiritual advisor, Brady, and he will conduct the clearing. By the end of the whole process, we usually have gone out to the property five or more times. Lastly, paranormal investigating is not something you can earn a living off of. All of our services are free of charge, as we are a non-profit organization. Beware of anyone who asks for compensation for any investigative purposes. The people who are truly passionate about this field and who truly want to help others experiencing unexplainable activity would never charge anything for their services.”
While films like Poltergeist give us a fictional idea of what it might be like to pursue ghost activity, speaking with real-life investigators truly broadened our paranormal horizons. It provided insight into the reality of the work, reminding us that the dramatic sequences we see on film may be thrilling to watch, but there are real-life counterparts of Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein) in our backyard searching for the truth. Most of us would run at the first squeak of a ghost, or Carol Anne’s famous utterance, “They’re heeeeere!” If poltergeists ever make a racket in our homes, we’d be glad to have Jenny Melton and Blaine Duncan to call on.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE SHINING
Year of Release: 1980
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writer: Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall
Budget: $19 million
Box Office: $44.4 million
The iconic and terrifying imagery of The Shining (1980) continues to seep into our cultural experience. “Heeeere’s Johnny!” There is manic and wide-eyed Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), ax in hand, fitting his face through the broken door. There are the two dead girls dressed in proper blue dresses (Louise and Lisa Burns) harkening for us to come “play forever and ever.” There is the elevator opening slowly to reveal a deluge of blood. These beautifully macabre shots did not come without sacrifice. Director Stanley Kubrick was methodical, known to be demanding and difficult to work with. Just the principal photography on the film took over a year to complete, and rehearsals stretched on. Nicholson endured six weeks of practice on the bar scene alone, and Shelley Duvall, who portrayed Wendy Torrance, was said to have been so stressed by Kubrick and the long days of work that her hair began to fall out.
This hard work ultimately paid off, as The Shining became a critical darling. While its legacy continues as one of the most recognizable and well-loved horror films of modern cinema, it is well-known that Stephen King was less than impressed by Stanley Kubrick’s take on his 1977 novel. Kubrick took creative license, altering quite a few aspects of the source material. This includes smaller tweaks, like changing the weapon from a croquet mallet to an ax, and larger overhauls, like focusing less on Jack’s alcoholism and more on his inherent creepiness. While comparing and contrasting the film and the novel could fill an entire a book, we agree that both King and Kubrick created epic stories of ghosts, isolation, and madness. Or, perhaps, The Shining is simply about a man with writer’s block? We can relate, because all work and no play make Kelly and Meg dull girls, too.
Ghosts haunt the Overlook Hotel in The Shining but what about the actual hotel the novel was based on? The Stanley Hotel, where Stephen King initially got inspired to write The Shining, is reportedly haunted. It’s in Estes Park, Colorado, and was built in 1909. When King and his wife arrived at the hotel, it was closing down for the season and they were the only overnight guests staying there. They ate dinner in an empty dining room while prerecorded orchestra music played. They stayed on the spacious, and eerily empty, second floor. King woke up that night from a terrifying dream about his three-year-old son being chased through the corridors of the hotel. The combination of the real-life setting and the nightmare inspired him to write the now famous book. Room 217 is thought to be haunted by Elizabeth Wilson, the hotel’s head housekeeper. During a storm in 1911, she was injured during an explosion as she was lighting the lanterns in the room. She survived, though she broke both of her ankles. Guests report seeing the original owner and his wife on the staircase, a piano playing itself, and lights flickering on and off.